As a teen, the Solihull-born star tried his luck in waters Down Under.

And now, the hard-working coach is continuing to shape the future of young elite swimmers in Birmingham.

To mark his dedication to the sport, the 25-year-old coach has just picked up a regional award.

He now holds the title of ASA West Midland Young Coach of the Year after years of early-morning starts and endless poolside tuition.

Carl, who coaches at City of Birmingham Swimming Club, has helped to forge a formidable junior and senior squad which consists of some of the top-ranked swimmers in the country.

Talented teens are plucked from other clubs across the city and entered into national gala’s where they can showcase their skills on the big stage.

The coach, who spends most of his time poolside, also looks at ways to develop and improve the sport as part of his role at Birmingham City Council.

He admitted that he was delighted to pick up the gong especially as he was running close to the age cut-off for the award.

“It’s great to win it because it was my last chance as I’m approaching my 26th birthday,” said Carl, who picked up the award at the ASA West Midlands Awards Dinner held at Villa Park. “It’s always nice to be recognised by other coaches so I’m really happy.

“Sometimes I’ll get a pat on the back from swimmers and parents but it feels extra special coming from the coaches.”

Carl has been coaching for the past five years and now has an impressive selection of youngsters under his wing.

The junior squad consists of kids aged between 10 and 13, while the senior team includes swimmers up to the age of 18.

Sessions take place every day except Sunday’s at either Newtown or Stetchford Baths.

As a junior, Carl represented Great Britain all over the world as an international swimmer, but never made it to the senior squad.

After leaving Lighthall School, he studied A-Levels before moving to Australia to swim competitively.

At the time, swimming was huge in the country as Australian Ian ‘Thorpedo’ Thorpe created a huge hype around the sport.

The now-retired freestyle king seemed to break world records every time he got in the water. But recently, the sport has received a boost in England, partly down to the success of the GB team at the 2008 Olympics.

Carl, is now using his experiences he gained abroad to nurture young talent in Birmingham and help them achieve their dreams.

“Coaching was something I always wanted to do after leaving college,” he added.

“I spend the majority of my week coaching, but I’m also in the office forging links with other clubs and trying to help develop the sport even more.

“Some of the kids we have here at the City of Birmingham are in the top three in Great Britain for their age category.

“They all swim nationally and regularly win medals at events across the country. Full credit must go to them because they all work so hard. They’re in the pool almost every day, sometimes before and after school, and they’re really keen to improve.

“5am starts are not always the best, but after so many years you start to get used to it.

“For some of the kids, the 2012 Olympics will come too soon, but there are high hopes for the following Games.”